Plane carrying 152 crashes in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) - A domestic passenger jet carrying 152 people crashed into the hills surrounding Pakistan's capital on Wednesday morning, officials said. Rescuers were trying to reach the scene amid rain and difficult roads.

The exact cause of the Airblue crash was not immediately clear, said Pervez George, a civil aviation official. He said the plane was flying from Karachi to Islamabad.

Pakistani news channels showed what appeared to be wreckage of the plane as a helicopter hovered above the heavily forested hills to assess the situation. Fire was visible and smoke was blowing up from the scene.

Airblue could not immediately be reached for comment.

Officials at first thought it was a small plane. But police official Mohammed Saeed said later Wednesday morning that "it seems that it is a bigger tragedy."

George said 146 passengers were on the flight along with six crew members.